


this time for sure

by dejakyu (dietsoba)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Arcades, Dates, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23197573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dietsoba/pseuds/dejakyu
Summary: Crane machines are unquestionably frustrating in their difficulty level.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	this time for sure

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on twitter for a random prompt on my cc and thought I might throw it here because it ended up longer than I thought and I haven't posted anything in a while.

Loud bubble-gum pop music pounded in Chanyeol’s ears while he focused intently on the arcade machine before him. His eyes tracked every stilted movement of the three-pronged crane as it panned across the machine’s interior above a wide assortment of stuffed toys. He ignored most of these in favour of a dinosaur plush wedged between two welsh corgis close to the back wall that he was determined to capture.

“I’ll get it this time for sure,” he declared quietly–more to himself than anyone else–as he directed the crane’s agonizingly slow descent to the sea of plushies beneath for the seventh time in the past hour.

With so many attempts under his belt, his pride was on the line if he failed any more times.

A familiar figure, otherwise known as his boyfriend Jongdae, shifted from where he stood beside him in order to lean against the machine, face lit by the glowing green and pink lights that flashed around its edges. His gaze was directed at the proceedings eyebrows quirked in an expression that was unquestionably doubtful.

“You said that last time Chanyeol, and the time before that too,” Jongdae whined, "I want to get another hot dog before the stall closes.”

Chanyeol was, quite frankly, a little hurt that Jongdae wasn’t being more supportive, placing his own insatiable hunger above Chanyeol’s need for closure. He was seriously suppressing his own burning need for more food for the said of his goal.

Chanyeol turned towards Jongdae, his face displaying his best puppy dog face, complete with wide eyes and pout. “I can’t lose after so many tries. I _need_ closure. Please, just one more.” 

His whine was on par with Jongdae’s own and Jongdae predictably crossed his arms and rolled his eyes in a way that Chanyeol would like to think was fond beneath all the exasperation, and sighed. “Whatever, _one_ more time.”

Chanyeol leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek, not missing the upward quirk of Jongdae’s lips as he did so, and scrambled to get one of the arcade tokens from his pocket. He was quick to insert the coins in the rusted slot and get started again.

He stretched his fingers and cracked his knuckles–more for his mindset than anything else. He placed his hands on the grimy joystick and buttons that were still warm from use. In his bubbling anxiety, the familiarity was comforting; he felt strangely more assured that he could actually do it this time.

His hopes soared, and were quickly stuffed out by failure.

“Fuck!” he roared, “I totally had it this time! But then it dropped halfway there! You saw that right? There must be some kind of oil on those prongs.”

Jongdae nodded in sympathy with his distressed boyfriend, though it didn’t feel particularly comforting.

"This machine is rigged,” Chanyeol grumbled venomously.

As fast as the tension in his body had risen, it fell and Chanyeol slouched foreword to press his forehead against the smudged plexiglass. His brows drew together despite the futility of staring down the inanimate device that was the current bane of his existence.

Jongdae sighed, unfolding himself so he could place a comforting hand on Chanyeol’s arm. He managed to draw Chanyeol’s attention from his nemesis in the process.

“Here, let me try,” Jongdae said, looking from Chanyeol’s face, to the controls, and then back up again. 

"I thought you wanted hot dogs,” Chanyeol muttered, petulant. 

"I do. Now move over you baby.”

“Yah!"

Jongdae shoved him to the side so he could stand before the machine. He ignored Chanyeol’s stumble after being caught off balance in favour of raking his eyes over the crane machine’s inner chamber. Chanyeol shot him a look of reproach, but if Jongdae noticed, he paid him no mind. He merely held out a hand towards Chanyeol, obviously seeking one of the tokens so he could play.

Chanyeol reluctantly supplied the last of them from his pockets. He hoped this would be worth it because he had been about to beg for one more go before pity hot dogs.

Chanyeol could do nothing else but cross his arms and watch intently as Jongdae placed his small hands on the controls. He noticed there was something off about the way Jongdae handled the machine with the ease of someone well used to its functions, even inserting the coins without looking at the slot. The way he fiddled with the controls, testing their sensitivity and speed, was also more certain than someone new to this. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

Of course, that was the most Chanyeol watched of Jongdae’s actual process in playing the game, curious as he was. The fault was entirely Jongdae’s this time. Chanyeol was immediately drawn to the cute way his his eyebrows quirked upwards and then down as he focused. Jongdae was also pouting unconsciously and it was endearing enough that Chanyeol’s sour mood improved ever so slightly; Jongdae’s power to raise his spirits through the simple act of being himself was astonishing.

Then Chanyeol was startled from his thoughts.

"Yaaaaay!” Jongdae shouted in his loud, clear voice. “I got them, I win~” he sang as he did a little dance.

“Wha–“

Chanyeol looked around frantically for the source of Jongdae’s joy, only to see him pulling not one but _two_ greendinosaur plush toys from the dispenser. He was brimming with glee that had him beaming non-stop at his success. It was so cute that Chanyeol couldn’t even truly resent him for it. Not that he wouldn’t try because now his pride was totally down the drain.

"How did you even do that?” Chanyeol demanded.

Jongdae stood up and brushed off the toys. 

"I used to be great at this kind of thing. I still go with my friends and their kids sometimes,” he explained, matter-of-factly. "I’m the one who has to win them things when their dads can’t do it.”

Chanyeol couldn’t believe it. “So you just let me go on like an idiot?”

Jongdae’s face froze, his mouth opening and clothing before he spoke. “No, of course not, you seemed like you really wanted to do it yourself. I didn’t want to intrud–,” his voice trailed off, knowing he had done exactly the opposite.

Chanyeol spun around. Jongdae was right, he probably wouldn’t have listened at all and gone ahead to try and best Jongdae’s claims and would have been left even more humiliated.

“It’s fine, let’s just go get hot dogs.”

Jongdae followed Chanyeol cautiously but there was no need–as if Chanyeol could ever really be mad at Jongdae. He held out a hand for Jongdae to grab as they walked out of the arcade into the hot summer evening. Jongdae was quick to snatch it up and give it a comforting squeeze.

After a few moments of silence, Jongdae asked, "You’re still mad you couldn’t win, aren’t you?”

“No."

"Sure, sure,” Jongdae said lightly, bumping his body into Chanyeol’s so they stumbled to the side.

"Okay, maybe a little."

"What If I bought you a hot dog AND gave you one of the dinosaurs so that we match?”

Chanyeol looked down to see Jongdae holding out one of the toys, an apologetic smile on his face.

Chanyeol had to struggle to control his features before he replied, "I guess…but we’re still going back there sometime so I can win once and for all. I can’t leave things like this."

Jongdae only laughed and dragged him off to the hotdog stand further up the road.

As they munched on their well-deserved food, Jongdae was coaxed into admitting his secrets to winning the game.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!♥️
> 
> ** My Twitter [daejakyu](https://twitter.com/daejakyu)  
> ** My [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/daejakyu)


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